People Beyond Numbers

People Beyond Numbers

Samar Al-Hallaq

July 22, 2014

Samar Al-Hallaq, aged 29, was working for the British non-profit Palestinian History Tapestry Project, which seeks to preserve the traditional art of Palestinian embroidery and “give Palestinian needlewomen and their community a focus beyond mere survival.”

Born in Gaza, Samar, who joined the group as assistant coordinator of the tapestry project in Gaza last December, had a bachelor’s degree in English Education and had worked with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. She came into contact with the Palestinian History Tapestry Project last year when her husband was studying at Oxford Brookes University in England. According to the announcement of her appointment, “Samar liked the idea of spreading Palestinian history worldwide through stitches made by Palestinian women.”

Samar AlHallaq was killed, along with her two young sons aged four and five, by Israeli bombing in Shija’yah. She was carrying her third child.

Her husband Hassan is critically ill in hospital. Several other members of their family were killed in the same attack.